FFX Altered Reality
by Cyarm
Summary: I present to you a look at an alternate reality of the world presented in FFX. What if Sin had never attacked the Al-Bhed boat with Tidus, Rikku, Brother and the other Al-Bhed? HIATUS'D due to writers block for the story and laziness. Ironic.
1. Chapter 1

**I had the thought of "What could happen in FFX to dramatically alter the history of what happens... and it hit me. What if when Tidus is on the Al-Bhed ship... Sin never attacked? Meaning Tidus never washed up on the Besaid shore... he never met any of the people that he would have met... and he'd never have become Yuna's guardian. Here's what I'd like to have thought could have happened. I started the story with the last few moments before Sin would have attacked, to bring y'all up to speed.**

**And to note... Italic text = Al-Bhed translated into English  
**

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**CHAPTER 1**

I laid on my back and stared at the sky. It was kinda uncomfortable lying on the steel floor, but I was tired after all that had happened, and the only thing I wanted was to fall asleep... fall asleep and wake up in Zanarkand. My stomach rumbled. I guess I wanted sleep AND food... but I knew the chances of getting both were slim to none.

"Ugh... hungry..." I groaned aloud. Almost as if on cue, the girl from today exited the ship, and approached me. I heard a clunk on the ground, and looked up to see a tray of food. "Whoa! Right on!" I said in appreciation. I began to scarf down the food... I just wanted to get rid of those hunger pains so badly. Suddenly, I felt something get caught in my throat. I was choking! I tried to say something to get the girl to realise, but all that came out were muffled shouts. I guess she understood, as she raised a bottle of water. I snatched it from her hands, and immediately starting chugging the life saving liquid. It had helped clear my throat, but I kept drinking... it's been too long since I'd had any water. The girl knelt down.

"It's 'cause you eat too fast." she said, refering to my greediness. I stood up. "Hey!" She said in a friendly tone.

"Hello there... what is your name?" I asked, hoping she could understand me as well as I could understand her.

"Rikku" the girl replied.

"You really do understand!"I grabbed her hands and started swinging her around in a circle in joy. She let go, embarrassed. "Why didn't you say so earlier?" I asked.

"I didn't get a chance to! Everyone thought oui were a fiend." she explained.

"Uh...'we'?" I asked.

"Oh, 'oui' means 'you.'" she explained... it still didn't make any sense to me...

"Who are you guys, anyway?" I asked. The clothes they worse weren't like anything I'd ever seen back in Zanarkand.

"We're Al Bhed. Can't you tell?" she asked, as she leant on the railing of the ship. "Wait. You're not an Al Bhed-hater, are you?" she said defensively.

"I don't even know what an Al Bhed is." I confessed.

"Where are you from?" she asked.

"Zanarkand. I'm a blitzball player. Star player of the Zanarkand Abes!" I bragged, imitating kicking a blitzball.

Rikku looked at me as if I'd just said the most outrageous thing possible. "Did you hit your head or something?"

"Uh... you guys hit me." I said, refering to our first meeting.

"Oh, right..." she said embarrassed. scratching her face with one finger. "Do you remember anything before that?"

I stood next to her by the railing, and leant my arms on it. I stared out to the see. All I could see for miles was just the blue ocean. I told Rikku everything there was to tell about Zanarkand... About life there, blitzball, and Sin's attack...and about how Auron and I were engulfed in this light. I just said things as they came to mind. But then I started to wonder. I finished off where we first met. Rikku was kinda bug eyed at this point... as if I was spinning the tallest tale imaginable.

"Did I say something funny?" I asked.

"You were near Sin." she said, pacing slowly around the ship. She turned to me and smiled. "Don't worry, you'll be better in no time! They say your head gets funny when Sin is near. Maybe you just had some kind of dream?"

"You mean I'm sick?" I asked.

"Because of Sin's toxin, yeah." she explained.

"You sure?" I asked again. It couldn't have been a dream! I remember my whole life so clearly! My first blitzball match at the stadium... the day that my old man disappeared... and when Sin arrived...

"Yeah, there is no Zanarkand anymore. Sin destroyed it a thousand years ago. So...no one plays blitzball there." she explained.

"What do you mean, a thousand years ago? But I saw Sin attack Zanarkand! You're saying that happened a thousand years ago? No way!" I argued. We stood in silence for a moment, before Rikku perked up.

"You said... You play blitzball? You know, you should go to Luca. Someone might know who you are, or you might find someone you recognise." she suggested.

"Luca?"

"Okay, leave it to me! I'll get you to Luca, promise!" said said, holding up a hand in an oath like gesture. I was kinda reluctant. "You'd rather stay here?" she asked. Hmm... now that I think about it, sharing a boat with those other Al-Bhed people wouldn't be my idea of fun. I shook my head. "Okay. I'll go tell the others. Wait here. Oh, and one thing. Don't tell anyone you're from Zanarkand, okay? Yevon says it's a holy place. You might upset someone." she said, running into the ship's interior.

My Zanarkand, some kind of holy place? Yeah right, I thought. Since when? Yevon? Sin? Luca? I thought Sin had just taken me to some faraway place, that I could go back in a day or two. But a thousand years into the future? "No way!" I shouted, as I kicked a container. It was at that moment, I had a strange feeling... hmm... deja vu... strange. Rikku returned from inside the ship.

"Brother says it's ok. Our next stop will be Luca! It'll take us a few weeks to get there. Then we'll be headed back Home. You'll find someone you know in Luca. I just know it!" she said in hope.

"Well, I guess I better get some rest. It's been a long day." I said, as I stretched and yawned.

"Hey wait... I got it!" said Rikku as she scurried over to a large container. "Come over here!" she beckoned. I walked over as stared at the large steel box. Rikku opened the door. Inside, was a ratty old mattress and a raggedy pillow. "You can sleep in here." she said. "When we left Home, we had a castaway on board. He was using this container as a bedroom. We found him on the way here and left him at the same place we found you." she explained. I climbed into the container, and lied down on the bed. "Goodnight!" she said cheerily. She began to close the doors.

"Oh, hey Rikku?" I said, trying to get her attention.

"Yeah?" she asked, stopping.

"Thanks." I replied, thanking her for what she's done for me.

"No problem." she said with a wink, as she shut the doors. I was engulfed in darkness. Nothing to do now but sleep. I guess things were picking up for me at last. But my mind still wandered. Where was I? What are all these strange places and names I keep hearing? Zanarkand destroyed? It was too much for me to handle in one night. Slowly, my mind emptied, and I fell asleep.

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"Rao oui! Kad ib!" shouted a voice, as I felt something kick my leg. It was one of the Al Bhed from last night. He had a blond Mohawk, and a large blue tattoo on his chest and stomach. He wore grey pants, with red suspenders. "Desa vun pnaygvycd, kad ib huf un oui'mm kad hudrehk!" he shouted again.

"Ok! Ok! I'm up!" I shouted, standing up. The man walked back into the ship. As I exited the container, a voice behind me spoke.

"Good morning!"

I turned around and saw Rikku leaning on the side of the container.

"Oh, good morning." I replied.

"It's time for breakfast. Come on inside! Brother gave the all clear for you this morning." she explained.

"Who is Brother?" I asked.

"That would be the guy who woke you up just then" she explained.

"Boy, he's one happy camper, isn't he?" I said sarcastically. Rikku laughed.

"Brother is like that to all strangers. Don't worry, he'll warm up to you in no time. Then you'll see he's just a big goof ball." explained Rikku.

We entered the ship, and descended a flight of stairs. There in front of us, was a long table. Plates of delicious looking food lined up against several seats.

"Alright!" I shouted in joy. I was still somewhat hungry. I rushed over to a seat and sat down, preparing to dig in. Brother entered the room and started shouting at me again.

"Oui! Hud drana! Ouin vuut ec ujan drana!" he shouted, pointing at another table. I guess I can't eat with them... I stood up and walked over to the other table. It was a small square shaped on, built for one. On the table, lay a plate and spoon. Some sort of unappetising mush of food sat on the plate. I sighed. At least it was better than nothing. I picked at it with my spoon... I could swear I saw something moving around in it. I heard footsteps behind me. It was Rikku with a chair and her plate.

"Mind if I sit with you?" she asked.

"No, go ahead." I said, gesturing for her to sit. She placed her chair across from me and sat down. I was still picking at the food, when Rikku noticed.

"Eww... is that what they gave you?" She asked.

"Yeah... what is it?" I asked.

"Brother's 'cooking'" she joked. "I usually make all the food here, but Brother wants to try and be the one to do it all. The first night he made this for us, we couldn't sleep that night from how sick we got. From then on, no one allowed him near the kitchen." she joked. I laughed heartily. But then I realised why Brother made this for me...

"Oh wow..." I said as I stopped laughing, and immediately pushed the plate aside.

"Here, you can have mine. I already ate this morning." she said, as she place her plate in front of me.

"Thanks!" I said as a started eating. She sat there as I ate for a few minutes.

"So... you don't remember anything yet, huh?" she asked. I quickly thought it over.

"Hmm... nope... I still remember Zanarkand, Auron and the night I got zapped up into Sin." I explained.

"I guess I should help you remember everything..." she said, as she started thinking. "Hey uh... uh..." she began to say, as if she was trying to remember something.

"What?" I asked.

"Well this is awkward... I haven't even asked your name since we found you!" she said.

"Oh yeah... right... I'm Tidus!" I replied.

"Tidus..." she said as her mind wandered again. I continued eating. A roar of laughter came from the table beside us, as Brother and the other Al-Bhed joke around.

"So... when should we start... teacher?" I asked Rikku with a smile.

Rikku smiled back. "After you're done eating!" she said, gesturing me to keep eating.

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The room was almost like a classroom. There was a blackboard, and a bunch of desks.

"What is this room anyways?" I asked Rikku.

"This is our mission room." she replied. "We get briefed on what our missions and tasks are here."

"Wow... so you guys do this stuff all the time huh?" I asked.

"Oh yeah. We've been doing this for a year now. Salvaging valuable machina parts for use." she explained.

"Uh... machina?" I asked.

"Hmm... I guess we should start there." she thought aloud. Rikku walked over to the blackboard and wrote the word 'Machina'. "Machina..." Rikku began. She immediately froze up and began muttering to herself, thinking of a way to continue. "Hmm... I know... I'll give examples of what Machina is... maybe that'll help you!" she said as she began to pace around the room. "Aha! Uh... this ship... is machina!" she exclaimed. "Uh... what else... uh... a blitzball arena! A blitzball arena is machina! Hmm... think Rikku... think... aha! The airship we found is machina!"

"Hmm... so machina... are machines?" I asked.

"Yeah! That's it... gee... you're better at this than me... maybe you should be the teacher!" she joked.

I laughed. "Hey, I've got an excuse for why I don't know anything." I said.

"I guess you're right." said Rikku as she blushed. "Now... let's see... now Sin... a lot of people think the reason Sin is here is 'cause people used machina. The difference between Al-Bhed and everyone else is, that we don't believe that machina is the reason why Sin is here." Rikku explained. "That's why we still use machina. When you see the cities around Spira, you'll see that they're nothing at all like Zanarkand was a thousand years ago."

"Hmm... I guess that all makes sense." I said, confirming I could understand all this... or at least I thought I did. "Could you teach me your language?" I asked. Rikku's eyes opened wide in surprise.

"W-why?" she stammered as she asked.

"If I'm going to be on this ship for a while, then I should at least be able to understand what every keeps yelling at me for." I explained. "Plus you never know when it could come in handy!"

"I guess so. Alrighty then... let's begin! Now... I guess we'll start with the al-bhed alphabet... repeat after me! Ae..." she started.

"Ae..."

"Pe..."

"Pe..."

"Lu..."

"Lu.."

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Lunch time on the ship. I'd spent all morning learning Al-Bhed, and all about Spira. Al-Bhed isn't actually that difficult of a language when you pick it up... I could write basic sentences, and even speak them. I wondered how Brother would react. I decided to ask him as we passed by in the halls.

_"Hello Brother! How are you?"_

Brother grunted, but then realized what I had said. He turned to me with a look of surprise.

_"You speak Al-Bhed?"_ he asked.

_"Rikku is my teacher. I am learning."_ I replied.

He nodded with a serious look of approval. _"Good."_ he said. _"Maybe if you don't meet anyone in Luca, you could join us."_ he suggested.

_"Yeah, maybe"_ I replied. Brother gave a thumbs up with right hand, before he walked away. I met Rikku at her room, before we headed to the eating tables. There on the long table, at the very end, was a plate with the same food as everyone else. The other Al Bhed were already eating, so it must have been for me. I sat down and started eating. I looked up at Brother from the other side of table. He gave me another thumbs up. I guess it's good to know that I'm actually starting to get accepted around here.


	2. Chapter 2

**Kind of a short chapter here... but it's late, and I wanted to get another chapter out before I went off to bed. Reviews are welcomed!**

**CHAPTER 2  
**

It's been about three weeks since I found myself on this ship. And to be honest... it's actually one of the best things that could have happened to me in my life. I've made real friends with the Al-Bhed... I've expanded my horizons and learned about cultures Spira wide... and I've even learnt a new language, all three with the help of Rikku. I don't think I'd ever have done anything like this back in Zanarkand, and I'm much better for it. This morning, I was woken with a knock at my bedroom door from Brother. We've become like brothers, despite the short time since our meeting. He even gave me the spare bedroom.

_"Hey Tidus! Rise and shine! I think we're going to arrive in Luca today!"_ he said.

_"Awesome!"_ I replied with a grin.

_"We've got breakfast on the go, so come on out."_ said Brother in a welcoming tone.

_"I'll see you out there."_ I replied. Brother shut the door behind him, as I jumped out of bed. I got dressed, and exited the room, when a voice beside me spoke.

"You seem happy this morning"

"Oh, hey Rikku. I guess I am, huh? I'm just amped up for Luca today. It'll be great to be surrounded by my fellow blitzers again." I explained.

"And maybe you'll find someone who recognises you, huh?" she included.

"Maybe. Let's go eat. eh?" I suggested as I walked into the eating area. I'd made friends with the other two Al-Bhed there as well. There's Neko... who's a real hothead, and Dyren, who isn't a big fan of Yevonites. One of the big reasons why it took him so long to warm up to me. But he's great when you get to know him. The two of them, as well as Brother sat at the table, and beckoned me to sit with them. I took a seat beside Dyren. Rikku sat beside me.

_"Morning Neko, Dyren, Brother. How's everyone this morning?"_ I greeted. I got a collective of positive responses. _"So Luca today eh? This should be good."_

_"There's the big blitzball tournament on today too. We've got 4th row tickets!"_ Neko shouted in joy.

_"Really? It's a shame there's no teams I could enter though... or even support"_ I said, feeling a bit left out.

_"Hey, it's ok Tidus. You can join us and follow the Al-Bhed Psyches!"_ suggested Dyren.

_"Hmm... yeah, you're right!"_ I said. It's much better to cheer on a team with people other than by yourself. I just wish I could play... I think I'm probably getting rusty.

_"Anyways, finish up."_ said Brother. _"We've got a big day ahead of us!"_

* * *

"Uh... is the answer Besaid?" I asked.

"Correct!" shouted Rikku with a smile. "Wow Tidus, you've sure learnt a lot about Spira since we found you. Are you sure you don't remember anything yet?"

"Nope..." I replied, my mind still fully focused on the Zanarkand I remember.

"Well... I guess you've still got a long way to go then until you remember." Rikku said with a sigh.

"How 'bout a break?" I asked.

"Sure... whaddya wanna do?" replied Rikku with a question of her own.

"Wanna just talk or something?" I asked.

"Alright." she replied. We exited the mission room, and entered the common room of the ship. It had two couches, and a small table in the middle. We both sat on a couch in silence for a moment... neither of us knowing what to say.

"So... tell me about Home." I asked.

"Well it's on Bikanel Island, so it's pretty much always hot and windy. Inside Home though, it's much cooler. The place is filled with all these cool machina." she explained. "Phew... speaking of hot, it's boiling in here. Well, Brother isn't around... I guess it's safe for me to take off this suit."

Rikku stood up, and piece by piece removed her Al-Bhed armour. This was the first time I'd ever seen her without her suit on. Underneath, was this fragile looking... small girl... she wore an orange top, and green shorts... she was beautiful... wait... did I just use the word beautiful? No... you must have thought of something else Tidus... keep it together. Rikku sat back down beside me.

"Anyways, Home is divided up into 3 sections, the barracks, where all the Al-Bhed..." she starting explaining. To be honest... I wasn't really listening. I was watching her... she had such a beautiful face... I guess that helmet she wore clouded all that up... her hair was... damn it Tidus! Quit thinking these awkward thoughts, and pay attention!

"...so any summoners we find are kept there." she finished.

"Wow, that's amazing" I said, not having heard one word she said.

"Anyways, they're planning on adding a new section to Home called..." Rikku gave me a funny look. "Uh... do I have something on my face?" she asked. I think I was staring... and she just noticed... I decided to be honest.

"No... you're just... beautiful..." I said slowly.

"Well... uh..." Rikku stammered... unsure of what to think. I made her awkward and uncomfortable. Damn it, I had to bail.

"Uh... sorry... I shouldn't have said that." I said as I quickly averted my gaze from her.

"No, it's all right Tidus." replied Rikku. She attempted to continue but stammered about. "Uh... anyways... the uh, new section will... uh... be where... we take care... of uh... anybody found wandering in the, uh... desert.." I looked up at her... her lip trembled. "And we'll... uh... take care of... them... as long as..." I couldn't hold myself back... I leaned right in, and kissed Rikku. At first she was shocked... but she let her emotions take control, and she began to reciprocate. This one kiss felt like a lifetime... but it all happened in a matter of about five seconds. Our lips separated... and there was still a sense of awkwardness in the room... "Well uh... that was interesting..." said Rikku as looked to the floor, blushing.

"Y-yeah..." I said, embarrassed of my actions. The awkward silence that followed, was broken by a shout on deck.

_"LAND HO!"_ shouted Brother. I guess that meant that we were at Luca. Rikku and I both exited the ship, and stood up on deck... neither of us talking about the moment we just had. I could see Luca in the distance. It was quite a big looking city. Smaller than Zanarkand, but still pretty big. I wondered if I'd meet anyone I knew there... and if I did... would I ever get to talk to Rikku about that moment?


	3. Chapter 3

**I know the Blitzball matches are kinda short... but I suck at writing any kind of sport. _ So there ya go.**

**CHAPTER 3**

After we docked at a Luca Port, we entered Luca at last. The streets were busy with tourists seeing the sights before the games began. I was more interested in the games themselves. The Al-Bhed's and I walked in a horizontal line. Rikku stood at one end, and I at the other. She was definitely still confused about what just happened, and truth be told, so was I. She was back in her armour too, so I guess for now I won't have any of those strange outbursts again.

_"Today is going be great!"_ shouted Brother as he raised an arm in the air. _"The Al-Bhed Psyches are gonna take the cup for sure!"_

_"You know it!"_ replied Neko.

_"I just wish the damn tournament wasn't sponsored by Yevon"_ murmured Dyren.

_"Hey Dyren, give it a rest! We're here to have fun, and you're not gonna dampen our spirits."_ I replied, punching his shoulder playfully.

We continued laughing and shouting on our way to the arena, when a voice started shouting from behind us.

"Chappu? CHAPPU! HEY CHAPPU, WAIT!"

I turned around to see a large, tubby looking man in front of me. He wore a yellow outfit, and had a big orange point in his hair. He looked familiar... but I couldn't place my finger on it...

"Uh... I think you've got the wrong person" I replied.

"Oh... sorry... I thought you were someone else, ya?" he replied.

And with that, the man walked away. I had that weird feeling of deja-vu again. I shrugged it off, and continued walking with the Al-Bhed into the stadium.

* * *

There we were, fourth row from the front in the Blitzball arena. These seats were great. Close enough that you could see a great deal of action... far enough that you didn't have to crick your neck up and stare at the sky most of the time. I sat with Brother and Neko to my sides, while Rikku left a space between her and Brother. Dyren wasn't here at the moment. Turns out his brother actually plays for the Al-Bhed Psyches.

_"First match today is the Psyches against the Besaid Aurochs!"_ said Brother, psyched for the match. _"The Aurochs always lose in the first round, so this should be a cake walk, no?"_

"Awesome!" I replied. Just then, a nervous Dyren ran up to us.

_"Guys! We've got a big problem!"_ he shouted.

_"Cool your jets!"_ replied Neko. _"What's going on?"_

_"One of the players is injured!" _shouted Dyren. _"He was doing his warm-ups and he tore a muscle or something! He can barely walk, let alone blitz! And the official Blitzball rules say, that if a replacement isn't found... then the team forfeits..."_ he trailed off.

Someone must have been smiling down on me. I knew this was my opportunity to get back in the game.

_"Uh... I'll replace him!"_ I suggested. The other Al-Bhed turned to me. _"I was the star player of the Za... uh... my team where I came from!"_

_"Good enough."_ said Dyren, as he grabbed me by the arm and pretty much dragged me to the Psyches locker-room. The rest of the Psyches looked down in the dumps, as they sat around the injured player, who held onto his leg.

_"Guys! I've got your replacement!"_ shouted Dyren.

The players all perked up and immediately surrounded me. They looked me up and down.

_"He's not Al-Bhed though..."_ one of them said in disappointment. _"His eyes don't show it..."_

_"Oh... I've got it!"_ said Dyren, as he grabbed a pair of goggles from within his suit. _"Tada!"_ He put them over my face. They were kinda tight, but if it meant I could blitz today, then it was worth it. The Al-Bhed applauded the goggles.

_"That'll work."_ said the Psyche team member from before. _"Ok kid! Get warmed up! The match starts in a few minutes. And no tearing anything like bozo over there."_ he said, as he pointed at the injured Psyche on the bench.

I began stretching, as I overheard two of the Psyches speaking to each other.

_"We're a shoe-in to win today!"_ he said.

_"With that Summoner kidnapped, I don't think the Aurochs will be trying anything drastic."_ he replied.

_"Huh?"_ I perked up. The two Al-Bhed looked at me.

_"We've kidnapped a lady summoner from the Aurochs side."_ replied the first Al-Bhed.

_"Huh? What for?"_ I asked.

_"We're guaranteeing victory here. We told them that they have to lose on purpose, or else the girl will get it!"_ laughed the second.

_"W-what? That's terrible!"_ I protested. _"How are we supposed to be taken as a credible blitzball team, when our victory is the result of kidnapping and not from skill!"_ I argued. The two Al-Bhed scratch their heads.

_"Yeah... you do kinda have a point there..."_ said the first Al-Bhed.

_"Jeez... we should probably release her..."_ said the second.

The first Al-Bhed spoke to a few others. One of them spoke on a hand-held radio of sorts. The first Al-Bhed returned and updated us on the situation.

_"They're letting her go now..."_ he said.

I guess that's the end of that matter then. Now all I had to do was focus on the game... and on victory!

* * *

The first half was an even tie. 2 to 2. The strangest thing was... that guy from earlier... the one who had the orange point in his hair... he was the Captain of the Aurochs! Maybe that's how I thought he looked familiar. Maybe I saw him on a poster or something. Yeah, that had to be it.

Eiga, the captain of the Psyches, stood in front, giving a pep talk to the team. I looked out the window, and stared outside. I could see a woman in a white and purplish outfit run up to a Ronso, and woman in a grey dress... again... I felt the deja-vu... what the hell was up with that?

My mind returned to Rikku. Damn... I felt like such a bonehead... we were really good friends at that point, and I might have just gone and blown that right out of the water. I wondered where we'd go from here. Would it just be awkward silences like now? Would we go back to being friends... and always having that moment in the back of our minds? I didn't know...

I turned back to the captain of the team, who was finishing up his big speech. The Al-Bhed cheered for him. We all stood, and left the room. It was now time for the second half.

Entering the Blitzball arena, I could see a bright blue flare in the sky. Strange... must be one of the fans loading off some fireworks. The Aurochs noticed it too. The Besaid captain giving a devilish grin as he looked at us.

* * *

It was the final minute of the match, and we were still tied 2-2! I knew if we were going to win this... it would be me who had to take control. I grabbed a pass from a Psyche, and proceeded to pass by most of the Aurochs. It was down to me and the goalkeeper! I kicked the ball off of one side of the goal... one off the other... then I swam up high, and delivered a hard kick. It was good! The game was 2-3! The buzzer sounded for the end of the match, as I was surrounded by the Psyches, getting pats on the back and smiles. The Aurochs in the corner of my eye looked disappointed. They swam slowly out of the arena. And I was left in adulation of the Psyches.

We swam back to the locker-room, where we continued to celebrate. In the corner of my eye, I could see Brother, Rikku, Dyren and Neko at the stairs applauding. They approached me and gave their congratulations as well.

_"Tidus that was amazing! You sure showed the Aurochs who's boss!"_ praised Brother.

_"With moves like that, we're gonna take the cup for sure!"_ agreed Dyren.

Rikku didn't say anything. She just turned and walked away. I knew I had to follow her. Without saying a word, I sprinted after her, and caught her outside.

_"Rikku... Rikku!"_ I shouted, hoping she would stop. She didn't. I finally caught up to her. _"Rikku... what's wrong? Why have you been avoiding me?"_

Rikku turned to me with tears in her eyes.

"It's because I knew something would happen for you in Luca... and you'd leave us... and the moment we had, would mean nothing!" she said, tears now streaming down her face.

"Hey... what are you talking about?" I asked. "Nothings happened for me!"

"Oh no? After that win, I bet the Psyches are gonna beg you to join their team!" said Rikku as she sat down at a bench nearby.

I followed and sat next to her. "Look, I love blitzball and all... but I don't think is the time to do anything as sudden as joining a blitzball team." I assured her.

"Are you sure?" she asked, as she sniffed.

"Positive." I replied. Rikku rested her head on my shoulder. "And look, if it'll make you feel any better, then I won't play the next match." I suggested.

"Really?" asked Rikku as she looked up at me with big wide eyes. "But it's the final!"

"I think the Psyches will do fine." I said.

"But... what about a replacement? The Psyches will need another player." she asked.

"You just leave that to me." I said with a wink.

* * *

The finals were underway. The Psyches up against the Goers. My replacement swam around excitedly in the arena.

_"Look Rikku! Look! I'm playing Blitzball with the Al-Bhed Psyches!"_ shouted Brother from within the sphere. Rikku and I both laughed from our seats.

"Are you sure he'll be alright in there?" asked Rikku.

"Positive." I replied, as Rikku rested her head on my shoulder again.


	4. Chapter 4

**I'm surprised how fast I'm churning out these chapters. :P Reviews are welcome!  
**

* * *

**CHAPTER 4**

The game was over. The Luca Goers won 3-1. Sure, the Al-Bhed Psyches didn't win, but I didn't care. Rikku was happy again, and that was all I really wanted. As the Luca Goers celebrated, a strange bunch of objects entered the sphere. They looked like green squiggly worms...

_"FIENDS!"_ shouted Brother from within the sphere.

A panic immediately arose from the crowd, as everyone rushed towards the exits. It seemed that the fiends in the sphere weren't the only ones. Flying fiends, and reptilian fiends began to fill the arena. Rikku and I rushed to an exit, but were cut off by one of the reptiles. I grabbed the sword I received from Auron back in Zanarkand, and attacked. The fiend hardly looked bothered. I was knocked aside quickly, as the fiend turned it's attention to Rikku. Rikku backed up slowly, before tripping and landing on her butt. She screamed as the fiend charged at her... but before the fiend could attack...

SLASH!

A man in a brown outfit stood tall over the slain fiend. He hoisted his sword over his shoulder and continued walking.

"Auron!" I shouted. Auron turned his head to the side, and looked at me with his good eye. He smiled slightly, chuckled and kept walking. I rushed over to Rikku. "You okay?" I asked as I helped her up.

"I've been better..." she replied, dusting herself off.

"Come on... we gotta follow that guy. I know him!" I shouted, pointing at Auron who was busy fighting a flying fiend.

"Is that... Auron?" Rikku asked, as if she somehow already knew.

"Yeah... let's go." I replied, as we ran over to where Auron was fighting. I withdrew my sword, and prepared for the fight. Rikku grabbed her knives from her armour.

SLASH!

STAB!

STRIKE!

The fiend fell to the ground, and burst into a dozen pyreflies.

"We did it!" shouted Rikku who posed in victory.

"Don't get cocky. There's still plenty more where that came from." calmly said Auron. And he was right. Another flying fiend appeared, as well as two more reptilian fiends.

"Hey, gimme a break!" I said, as I prepared to fight again.

Off in the distance, I could see a man in red and green. He waved his arms, and before him appeared an enormous creature. He must have been a summoner. The beast he summoned began to destroy all the fiends with a weird flash from it's eye. One by one they exploded into pyreflies, including the ones we were fighting. I guess that put an end to it then.

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Auron and I finally had the chance to talk down at the docks. Or should I say... I yelled, and he talked...

"Hey, you! Don't just stand there! All of this is your fault! Gettin' swallowed by Sin! Not being able to go back to Zanarkand! Everything, everything! I'm telling you, it's all your fault!" I yelled at him. Auron smirked, and began to laugh uproariously. "Who are you anyway? How can you be here AND Zanarkand. That's impossible! I argued.

"Nothing impossible about it. You're here... are you not?" asked Auron.

"Uh... yeah..." I replied, having not really thought of what I said.

"It all started 10 years ago. Jecht, the High Summoner Lord Braska, and I... Together we defeated Sin ten years ago. Then I went to Zanarkand...where I watched over you. So that one day I could bring you to Spira." explained Auron.

"What? My old man was here?" I asked.

"Indeed he was." replied Auron.

"B-but how?" I asked.

"We never found out." confessed Auron.

"Why did it have to be me that had to come to Spira?" I asked.

"Jecht asked me to." replied Auron.

"Is he alive?" I asked.

"It depends on what you mean by 'alive.' He is no longer human. But then... I felt something of Jecht there in that shell, couldn't you? You must have felt him when you came in contact with Sin." explained Auron.

"It can't be..." I said, thinking what I was hearing was ludicrous.

"It is. Sin is Jecht." said Auron with a grave look on his face.

"No! That's ridiculous! No way! I don't believe you!" I argued.

"But it is the truth. You'll see for yourself. Come with me." said Auron, as he began to walk off.

"If I say no?" I replied, holding my ground.

"Every story must have an ending." said Auron, with one of his stupid cryptic metaphors.

"I don't care about your stories!" I yelled.

"I see. Sorry you feel that way. Fine, then. Come or don't come. It's your decision." said Auron as he started to walk away again.

"What am I supposed to say? You tell me it's my decision... But I don't have a choice, do I? You're the only one who can tell me what's going on, anyways! I have to go with you! I have to!" I yelled.

"Irritating, I know. Or are you afraid? It's all right." said Auron in an almost condescending tone. I followed him for a few steps, then stopped.

"Auron? Will I ever go home? Back to Zanarkand?" I asked, much quieter.

"That's up to Jecht. I'm going to offer my services to Yuna. Come." said Auron as he beckoned me to follow him.

"Yuna? Who's Yuna?" I asked. Auron stopped in his tracks. He turned to me.

"You... you know Yuna, correct?" he asked.

"No... I never met a 'Yuna'." I replied. Auron immediately freaked out. He started muttering to himself.

"Oh no... oh Yevon no..." he muttered, almost delirious.

"Did I say something funny?" I asked.

"Quickly! Follow me! You must meet Yuna at once!" he said, as he grabbed me by the arm and dragged me along.

"Hey! What's the big idea!" I yelled as I got dragged along. I could hear Auron muttering about Jecht messing up. I just ignored it, as I was dragged along.

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Auron had been dragging me along for what was about five minutes. Up a set of stairs we went. In the distance I saw a group of people. It was strange... I recognised all of them. There was the Ronso, woman in grey, and the girl with a white and purple outfit from outside the window. And once again, the Captain of the Besaid Aurochs!

"Whoa." said the Aurochs Captain, as he noticed us.

We approached the group.

"Sir Auron?" said the girl in the white and purple outfit.

"Yuna." spoke Auron to the girl. I guessed she was Yuna.

"Sir?" replied Yuna.

"I wish to become your guardian. Do you accept?" asked Auron.

"You serious?" asked Tidus.

"You refuse?" replied Auron.

"No, no! We accept! Right, everyone?" said Yuna, as she asked the rest of her group.

"O-Of course! No problem at all!" said the Captain.

"But...why?" asked the woman in grey, who hadn't said anything until now.

"I promised Braska." replied Auron.

"You promised my father? Thank you, Sir Auron! You're welcome to join us!" replied Yuna.

"And...he comes too." said Auron as he let go of my arm and shoved me forward. I felt the eyes of the group stare at me.

"Hi...guys. Eh...howdy! I'm Tidus." I greeted awkwardly.

"This one I promised Jecht. He is his son." explained Auron.

"Is Sir Jecht alive?" asked Yuna.

"Can't say. Haven't seen him in ten years."

"I...see." replied Yuna.

"You'll meet eventually." said Auron, giving Yuna some hope.

"Yes, I'm looking forward to it!" she replied.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" I said, stopping the conversation. "I'd just loooooove to go wherever it is you're all going... but I'm afraid that I've already got plans." I began to walk away.

"Stop!" shouted Auron. "Your destiny is this way."

"Screw destiny!" I shouted back, as I kept walking. I had a good thing going with Rikku and the Al-Bhed, and I wasn't going to stop that, for whatever messed up motivation Auron had. I walked with a brisk pace all the way back to the port where we had docked. There, stood Rikku and the others. I guess they must have been waiting for me. Rikku spotted me, and ran into my arms.

"I thought you had left us..." she said, with her face buried with my chest.

"Are you kidding? I'm not going anywhere!" I replied with a laugh.

Rikku and I both entered the ship with the other Al-Bhed, as we set sail once again. This time, we were going Home.

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If I were lazy, I could probably end the story here :P But I plan on having the story continue. LUCKY YOU.


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